


Scraps: How to Flirt (According to Steve Rogers)

by Judy_The_Dreamer



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Biased Media, First Meeting, Flirting, M/M, Steve POV, Steve Rogers and the 21st Century, dating apps, modern!Bucky, scrapped pieces from an AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:28:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24525403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Judy_The_Dreamer/pseuds/Judy_The_Dreamer
Summary: Scraps from my sadly abandoned Stucky WIP.Modern Bucky helps Steve navigate the modern world.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 9
Kudos: 18
Collections: Star Spangled Bingo 2020





	1. The Internet, So Helpful

**Author's Note:**

> There are so many reasons why this WIP never came about. Lockdown, lack of time, creative burnout... Still, there's enough pieces that I like, so I wanted to share some.
> 
> Stark Spangled Bingo 2020 - C3 Free Space

Waking up in the twenty-first century after a seventy-year long nap in a cozy block of ice was an experience to put it mildly. Nothing in the frigid Arctic waters could have prepared him for the skyline of towering skyscrapers, industrial landscapes and computers that fit into the palm of your hand. (And could grow actual personalities when left in the hands of a genius like Tony Stark.) 

Needless to say, Steve suddenly found himself a lot more sympathetic towards the time-travelling Neanderthals that appeared in cartoons in the wake of time-travel shenanigans. He now understood their madness and their grief in the face of the modern world. The task of catching up on his own measly seventy years of missed history loomed over Steve, threatening to completely overwhelm him if he didn’t get a headstart.

Unfortunately, a spy agency with its own secret agenda wasn’t the most dependable source of historical facts, but he’d managed to cobble together a sturdy enough frame of reference from the doctored books that he didn’t feel quite so lost by the time he moved into Stark Tower. 

From there, Tony took over the charge of educating him by introducing him to the wonders - or was it, the unfathomable horror? - of the internet. A helpful tool, really. As long as you could make sense of the torrent of trivial information it threw your way. Which was daunting even without a sleep-deprived genius spouting off an unending stream of commentary while you navigate from page to page in search of who knows what.

To be completely honest, Steve hadn’t believed Tony when he’d claimed that the internet was a deep, dark maze that modern men and women regularly sacrificed their souls to, but after a couple of hours he had to admit there might be some truth to that statement. 

His discovery of Google was especially horrifying. Every scroll of the page seemed to lead deeper into a pit of despair and marketing ploys. As far as Steve could tell, there was no particular rhyme or reason to the order of results, except that a sit called Wikipedia inevitably popped up within the first five results and the other sites trailed behind in arbitrary fashion. Tony told him that there was at least one robot involved in the sorting process, but Steve lost the thread of his explanation after he started waxing poetic about coding functions.

During the next few days, he locked himself up in his room, only picked up the phone to contact Tony or Natasha with questions, and generally lost himself in the quagmire of the internet. He quickly learned that he had to be cautious, that sites like Wikipedia were corruptible and it was important that he always check the sources at the bottom of the page. He also learned that more often than not people would present their opinion as fact in a bid to sway the argument in their favour. In that aspect, humanity hadn’t changed one bit while he slept. If anything, it had never been easier for bad apples to spread their seed around.

Nevertheless, Steve persevered, collecting bits and pieces of information until he had a more-or-less complete picture of what it meant to be alive in the twenty-first century. He was exhausted, more than a little irritated by the existence of trolls, and strangely frustrated by the end-result. Even after all that trouble he’d gone through, there were still things that eluded him. Things that could not be learned from paper books and cold computer screens. Steve didn’t just want to learn what it meant to be alive; he wanted to lead a life.

So, that was exactly what he told his fellow Avengers when they sat down for their bi-weekly team dinner. Find me someone who can teach me how to live my best life.

(Tony and Clint burst out laughing, Natasha quirked a disbelieving eyebrow and Bruce nearly choked on his soup, but Steve thought the message had come across perfectly.)


	2. A Good Bro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Steve's lunch is disturbed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also unbetaed, so do let me know if there are mistakes. My least favourite of these three scenes.
> 
> Stark Spangled Bingo 2020 - A4 : Scared of the Storm (that is Steve Rogers' temper).

‘Your ugly mug is on TV again,’ Sam remarked in the middle of their Sunday brunch, words muffled by the sandwich he had half-stuffed into his mouth. His gaze rested on the muted flat screen that dominated the VA’s recreational space. 

Steve liked Sam. He liked his steady presence, his delightful irreverence, and his endless patience for dumb questions coming from a floundering nonagenarian. So, his total lack of manners and the added insult to Steve’s chiseled jaw were easily forgiven. The same did not go for whoever had decided to use Steve’s image to sell their political drivel without asking his consent.

Already feeling a storm brewing, Steve methodically chewed through a mouthful of his own sandwich before replying. ‘And what do they have to say about my face? Did they at least give it a good byline?’

He’d meant it as a joke but Sam actually craned his neck to read the banner of text that was presumably scrolling past at the bottom of the screen. ‘Why so worried about your public image, old man? They’d be crazy to sully America’s sweetheart on national television,’ he joked, but as he flicked through the long line of text, the humour bled from his eyes. ’Scratch that. Don’t turn around. This shit ain’t worth your time.’ Now Steve simply had to take a look.

The news anchor who dominated the screen was only vaguely familiar to Steve. He was sure she’d been in the briefing packet on conservative press, but he couldn’t put a name to the face underneath the heavy layer of makeup. He did, however, recognize the name of the conservative news channel she worked for and the sense of dread only became more intense as he dropped his gaze past her generous showing of cleavage to the headline she was reporting on.

**_Captain America: Why does he continue to fail in the defence of the American people?_ **

‘Hand me the remote,’ Steve spat out the command with uncharacteristic forcefulness, holding out his hand without diverting his eyes from the screen once. Sam, who clearly valued his continued existence, rushed to comply and practically slam-dunked the remote into Steve’s waiting palm. 

One button press later, the host’s shrill voice rung through the rec room. ‘How much longer will we allow an degenerate liberal like Tony Stark to control the life of a man who’s such an integral part of American culture and spirit? Isn’t it time that Captain America stands up for himself and what he believes in? ’  She puffed up her chest and stared straight in the camera like she somehow knew he was listening. ‘Why should a man like Steve Rogers be required to speak out in defence of the loose morals he himself does not condone? To placate the masses? I would have never thought that, one day, I’d be calling a national icon like Captain America a coward, but I’ll simply be forced to do so if he continues to let himself be cowed by his PR-team. Let Captain America speak his truth!’ she ended her diatribe with a passionate cry, which might have sounded like a call to arms in her head, but came across more like the screech of a demented bird.

Meanwhile, a cold fury had been building inside Steve’s chest. Normally, he’d be able to shrug of false criticism like this -- he’d had a lot of practice at it even before the war ended -- but something about having a complete stranger question the sincerity of his words, actions and choice of friends just enraged the part of Steve that had spent every day of his life fighting against injustices. Captain America had to do the right thing, this Steve wholeheartedly believed, and he surrounded himself with good people to hold him accountable. To dismiss his entire way of life as trite propaganda crossed one bridge too far.

‘Sam, I’m going to murder someone,’ he announced between clenched teeth, already rising from his chair to retrieve his shield and the emergency suit he kept stashed away in the staff room.

‘Nuh-uh.’ Sam stopped him with a firm hand on the shoulder, shaking his head as Steve glared. ‘You ain’t leaving until you’ve calmed down, buddy. I’ve seen your methods for resolving conflict and Captain America storming a public broadcast won’t make a good impression.’ He strained to press Steve back down on the chair until the soldier gave in with a huff. 

‘Honestly, Sam, I don’t give a fuck about PR.’ Steve hadn’t become Captain America to be relegated to the position of showpony. He’d done away with that part of his career the moment he’d dived from howard Stark’s plane to save a contingent of war prisoners.

‘Then think about what kind of example you want to set, Cap!’ Sam continued, scrambling for a reason that would at least make Steve pause for a second. ‘Defamation and misrepresentation are not crimes that you can fight with your fists. You have to play it smart, hit them where they are weak.’

Skeptical, Steve pursed his lips. ‘And where would that be?’ 

Sam’s grin could have put Loki’s to shame with the sheer deviousness it emitted. ‘Their greed, of course. You need somebody who knows how the media works and can help project the image you want for Captain America. Once they’ve got the scoop, you’ll have all the other media begging you for a piece of the pie, and then you’ll be the one in control, not them.’

‘Huh.’ Steve blinked, just taking in the scope of the plan for a minute. He had to admit that it sounded pretty good for something that Sam had come up with on a whim. Going over it again, he did spot a potential flaw. The success of the plan hinged on finding someone dependable that he could trust to correctly portray his side of the story, and Steve’s opinion of the integrity of journalists was at an all-time low. 

He made his misgivings known to Sam, who leaned closer and whispered conspiratorially: ‘I know a guy, a veteran turned photographer. His business is really small-scale at the minute, but he’s got a lot of talent. You’d be doing each other a huge favour by teaming up.’

It almost seemed too good to be true. ‘And he’ll support my kind of values?’

Sam laughed like he’d just heard the greatest joke ever. ‘Oh Steve, I’d be willing to bet he’d faint from excitement if you called him now and told him you’re gay as fuck. I know for a fact that he’s kept a copy of your latest magazine spread for “aesthetic reasons”.’

That shoot had been something else, Steve remembered with fondness. The photographer had all the Avengers perform their most impressive acrobatics in front of the camera, resulting in shots that oozed power and vitality. Steve’s spread had consisted of two pictures. One was of him caught in the middle of a somersault, muscles twisting and bulging, while the second featured him in full uniform, striking the ground with his shield and staring straight into the lens. He’d been completely in his element, powerful and ready for a fight. If Sam’s mysterious photographer friend could recreate that same feeling, then maybe Steve could give this plan a shot.

‘What’s his name?’ He asked, holding off from showing too much enthusiasm just yet.

‘James Buchanan Barnes,’ Sam’s tongue curled around the syllables with glee. ‘Bucky to his friends.’

_ Funny nickname,  _ Steve thought, amused.  _ There had to be an interesting story behind that. _

‘Alright then,’ he sighed, hoping he wouldn’t come to regret this decision. ‘Introduce us.’


	3. Car Ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Bucky's first official meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Same as the two before this.
> 
> Stark Spangled Bingo 2020 - C5 : First Time Together

‘I wonder,’ Steve began, monitoring Bucky’s reaction from the corner of his eye. ‘If there’s a simpler way for me to get back into dating without Natasha having to set me up all the time. Tony mentioned some programmes that I could put on my phone…’ He trailed off, hoping the photographer would take the bait.

‘They’re called dating apps,’ Bucky supplied helpfully, his hands had stilled around his camera. ‘There are a lot of different kinds, maybe you should ask Sam to--’

‘Is there one just for men?’ Steve asked innocently, throwing all of his cards on the table right where the younger man could see them. Bucky didn’t need to know that he’d already had an enlightening five hours with both Tinder and Grindr before deleting the apps from his phone and raging to Tony about the utterly disgusting messages he’d received. Tony had promptly offered to design a new dating app to pay for emotional damages, and an icon for something called  _ The Iron Hearts Club _ had mysteriously appeared on all his devices overnight. The super soldier was dying to have Bucky ‘guide’ him through it.

Steve didn’t need any super senses to hear Bucky gulping nervously. ‘Ummm. There’s Grindr? It’s not ideal if you’re looking for something more substantial than a…’ He hesitated, most likely debating with himself if the mention of casual sex would be enough to tarnish Captain America’s pristine image. ‘...a booty call.’

Steve had to press his lips together to hide a smirk, making a little noise of interest instead as he tapped his fingers against the steering wheel in mock-contemplation. ‘I’ll keep that one in mind for a rainy day then.’ A stunned silence was his only reply and he glanced over to find Bucky gaping at him.

‘What? I’m in excellent working shape for turning ninety-five this year,’ he challenged before returning his attention to the road. Traffic was starting to slow down again and he didn’t think rear-ending the car in front of them would be a good way to end their first outing, though a traffic jam might be just what he needed to set the second part of his plan in motion.

He waited until they came to a standstill two blocks over before pouncing. ‘Now that I’m thinking about it, Tony installed this other programme in my phone. Something SI released recently.’

‘The Iron Hearts Club,’ Bucky mumbled, fiddling awkwardly with the lens of his camera. ‘Downloaded that one a few weeks ago. Got some pretty down-to-earth features. Less thirst than Tinder, at least.’ Steve mentally did a happy dance. He couldn’t have got a better opening.

‘Oh, brilliant,’ he said, beaming at the photographer with genuine enthusiasm. ‘I’ve been looking for someone who knows how to work it. Tony rambled a little too much for my taste when he showed it to me.’

Bucky cocked his head to the side, clearly trying to figure out if Steve was for real. Simultaneously, the traffic in front of them picked up speed again, and the super soldier was forced to rip his attention away from those lovely, grey eyes. 

‘Sure, I could help you,’ Bucky agreed cautiously after a minute of watching Steve navigate from lane to lane. He started packing away his camera in the equipment bag. ‘Where’s your phone?’

Steve grinned internally. ‘It’s in my pocket, could you grab it and check if Tony has set it up correctly? My hands are a little occupied.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it, lovelies. Hopefully until better times!

**Author's Note:**

> These were all unbetaed, so if you find a mistake, let me know!


End file.
